An aircraft commonly includes heated floor panels in order to maintain the cabin at a comfortable temperature. The floor panels are typically supported by an aircraft structure arranged, for example, in a grid-like pattern. The floor panels have structural integrity sufficient to support the weight of people and objects resting on the panels. A metal face sheet typically forms the top surface of the panel to protect the underlying layers from punctures from high heels, chips from dropped objects, scratches from dragged luggage and/or other floor-traffic related hazards. Some type of floor covering (e.g., carpeting, tiling) is typically placed over the panels for comfort and/or appearance. A heated floor panel can include a weight-supporting layer and a heat-generating layer. The floor panel can also include a heat-insulating layer to prevent heat from exiting the aircraft compartment.
The heat-generating layer of the heated floor panels is typically placed just under the metal sheet or near the top surface of the floor. This makes the heating elements of the floor panels susceptible to damage (mechanical or due to fluid intrusion) during installation, maintenance or general use. The location of the heating element also makes localized repair to the metal face sheet or the top surface of the floor difficult.
Additionally, aircraft floor panels are difficult to remove without damage to the panel. Floor panels are located very close together and no current tools or methods exist to extract floor panels without high risk of damage. Typical damage includes edge damage from prying with tools such as prybars and screwdrivers that can compromise the metal or composite panel structure. In the case of heated floor panels, damage can render the heating elements of the floor panel non-functional.